Sound-box arm for talking-machines.



W. W. ZACKEY.

SOUND BOX ARM FOB TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED-00112, 1912.

1,083,045. Patented Dec. 30, 1913;

mvsmon '1 W I WIQTNESSES tinrrnn s'rarns rarnnr ent ies.

WILLIAM W. ZACKEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOROF FORTY-NINEQNE-HUNDREDTHS-TO CHARLES HEWITT, 0F BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

SOUND-BOX ARM FOR TALKING-MACHINES.

Specification of'Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

Application filed October 12, 1912. Serial No. 725,447.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ZAoKEY,

a citizen of the United States, and residing talking machines and moreparticularly to the sound amplifying devices and has for an object toprovide an amplifying arm and horn which are capable of transmitting andreproducing the sound with a minimum of variation from the original.

It has for a further object to provide a novel means of eliminating thescratching and scraping noises which are produced by movements of thesound arm .causedby vibrations of the sound record or irregularities inits surface. vised a construction wherein the amplifying armismaintained substantially in equilibrium, or floating condition, abovethe record but is so adjusted and arranged as to permit an extremelysensitive action of the needle with respect to the record.

It further consists of other novel features of construction all as willbe hereinafter fully set forth.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in theaccompanying drawings a preferred embodiment which is at presentpreferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to givesatisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood thatthe various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can bevariously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited tothe precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities asherein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a sideelevation of a sound reproducing device,embodying my invention, the same being shown partly in section. Fig. 2represents an enlarged section of a portion of the device. Fig. 3represents a section on line m-ao, of Fig. 2. Fig. 4t representsaperspective of the supporting device for the sound arm. Fig. 5

To this end I have d8".

represents a section of a portion of the same. Fig. 6 represents asection of a portion of the sound arm showing its connection to thesoundbox. Fig. 7 represents a section of a modified form of the device.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to "the drawings :-1 designates the sound horn or amplifyingdevice by means of which the sound waves are trans mitted from, thereproducing mechanism and, in the present instance, this horn is supported on a cross bar 2, or the like, forming a part of the box orreceptacle within which or upon which the mechanism is mounted.

3 designates the sound arm which carries on one end thereof a sound box4; of any well known construction, carrying the customary needle 5, forcontact with a record. In the present instance, I have-provided a horntapering or flaring outwardly from the sound box 4., and in order toobtain the desired result in the quality and the volume of the"reproduction, I have preferred and have found in practice that an armwhich is approximately elliptical in cross section is of the mostdesirable contour for the desired result.

Attention is directed to the configuration of the horn and arm since across section taken at any point in the length of these members willshow two substantially parallel surfaces which are joined by curved sidesurfaces and this construction, as has been found, causes a variation inthe sound waves tending to eliminate any scratching or metallic soundsnot forming a component part of the reproduced sound.

It will be noted that the smaller end of the arm 3 is joined directly tothe sound box 4., and therefore the sound waves are conductedsubstantially dircctly from the reproducing diaphragm to the interior ofthe arm 3, there being but a slight turn or bend as shown at 6, upon oneportion of the arm.

This construction has the effect of mate L r rially reducing thereaction of the sound waves incident to a tortuous channel and theconfusion of one sound wave with another is substantially eliminated.

In order to provide for the proper move ment of the arm 3 with respectto the record, I have devised aconstruction wherein the said arm-issubstantially balanced or maintained in equilibrium so that any movementor movements which it may have due to irregularities in the record orotherwise are not reflected in the reproduced sounds in the form ofscratchingv or scraping sound waves which mar or break. up the qualityof the sound reproduced. In carrying out this embodiment of myinvention, I have preferred to reversely bend or curve the sound arm 3,to form substantially a U- shaped portion and bring the delivery endthereof within the horn 1 in which position it'is supported upon amechanism giving substantially the effect of auniversal joint. Thismechanism embodies a knife edge 7, fixedly carried'by the arm 3 in anywell known'manner and adapted normally to. seat within a beveled slot 8,formed in the head 9 of a stud 10. It will be noted, however, that theslot 8 preferably does not extend the full width of the head 9, so thata seat is formed which will revent side or lateral movement of the knifeedge 7. The head 9 of the stud 10 is also cut away on one side to forman angular face 11, which gives suflicient clearance on that side toallow the arm 3 to swing on the knife edge 7, as a pivot, while swingingmovement of the arm from one side to the other is permitted by mountingthe stud 10 for rotation within a sleeve. 12, the latter being suitablyfixed to the horn support 2. In order that .vertical adjustment -of thearm 3 may be made if desired, I preferably thread the stud 10 and employa pair of nuts 13 located on opposite sides of the support 2, withrespect to each other, and the action and operation will be readilyapparent.

14 designates a lug or projection fixed to the arm 3, adjacent which andsecured to the horn 1 is a spring catch 15, the latter being adapted atcertain times to engage.

the lug 14, and thus lock the arm 3 in raised or inoperative position asshown in dotted lines, of Fig. 1-. -Attention' is particularly directedto the cross sectional configuration of both the arm 3 and horn 1, asthereby the "sound is conveyed continuously and without interruptionfrom the time it leaves the sound box until discharged from the horn-.1, whereby the full sound quality is preserved and a substantiallyperfect reproduction thereof attained.

In Fig. 7 I have shown another form of pivotal connection for the arm 3to the support 2, in which the head 9 of the stud 10 1s provided with atransverse annular channe 16 adapted to receive the pivot head 17 whichis of the proper contour to permit the desired rocking movement. It willbe noted that thepivotal support for the delivery end of the arm islocated at such a .waves delivered from the sound box.

point that the vertical line passing therethrough will also pass throughthe center of gravity of the arm. a It will now be apparent that I havedevised a complete unitary structure simple in construction andeffective in operation for reproducing in a perfect manner the souncIltwill further be seen that, having once adjusted the arm 3 with respectto the record, there .will be substantially no tendency to distort thesound arm and whatever pressure'is transmitted from the record due toirregularities or the like, is at once taken up by the swing of the armon its pivot.

Havin thus described my invention, what I c aim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is: v

1. In a talking machine, the combination of a support, a tapered horncarried thereby, an amplifying arm having a reversely curved portion, astud rotatably mounted in said support having a transverse channeltherein, a pivot carried upon the under side of the upper terminal ofsaid arm and seating in said channel, and a sound boxcarried by thelower terminal of said arm, said upper terminal extending a suitabledistance within said horn and freely movable therein. 2. In a talkingmachine, the, combination of a support; an amplifying arm having areversely curved portion, one terminal thereof being in a horizontalplane above the horizontal plane of the other terminal, a sound boxcarried by the lower terminal of said arm, a tapered horn stationarilysupported and operatively positioned with respect to the upper terminalof said arm, and means carried by the said support and co acting withsaid arm at a point adjacent the upper terminal of said arm to movablysupport said arm, said point being located in a vertical line passingthrough the center of gravity of said arm, whereby said arm is movableand is balanced in operative position.

3. In a talking machine, the combination of a support, a tapered horncarried there-- by, an amplifying arm having a reversely curved portion,a stud rotatably mounted in 'said support having a transverse channeltherein, a pivot carried upon the under side of the upper terminal ofsaid arm and seat ing in said channel, the curve of said arm extendingrearwardly of said pivot to form a counterbalance for the lower terminalof said arm, WhlCh extends forwardly of said pivot, and a sound boxcarried by the lower terminal of said arm, said upper terminal beingsituatedat a suitable point with respect to said horn and being freelymovable with respect thereto.

4. In a talking machine, an amplifying device comprising a tubular armhaving a pair of opposed flat side walls and opposed concave walls, saidwalls outwardly divergtaposed position forming a continuation ing, asound box communicating with the thereof whereby thesound conduit isformed 10 end of said arm, and a horn su1tably su'pwithout corners andis uniform in cross secported having opposed flat walls and optionthroughout its extent.

posed concave walls, the. opposite end of WILLIAM W. ZACKEY. said armbeing operatively' mounted with Witnesses: respect to said horn with theflat walls of ROBERT M. BARR,

7 each and the concave walls of each in 'jux- C. D, MoVAY.

